Lead Me From The Unreal To Real
by Melissa1988
Summary: The stoic Lucille Wilder (30) struggles to cling to her sanity as the world around her collapses while trying to raise a baby that isn't even hers to begin with. All the while she has to protect her sister, Roxanne Perry (19) who seems to be an easy fit in the Atlanta Group but makes them wonder if she has what it takes to survive this harsh world.
1. For Posterity

**A/N: _Hi guys! This is my re-write of the same story, I finally found time again and the inspiration to work on it again. This story should only be available either here, or on Ao3._**

 _ **Feedback and questions are always welcome! Some quick content warnings; Graphic Violence and Sexual content, Drugs use and mentions, Mentions of rape and possible scenes, Graphic deaths (including children), Mental illnesses, Suicide and all that comes with it, ...**_

 _ **I'll make sure to repeat warnings when dealing with sensitive subjects such as rape throughout the story.**_

* * *

"Mickey, snap out of it! Please!" she sobbed while pushing against his chest.

But the young man didn't listen. Instead he digs his fingers into her arms and unleashes a primal roar as his jaws snap at her. His eyes were unfocused and clouded, his once sun kissed skin a sickly grey. They continued to play this tug-o-war, inching closer and closer to her. All that was left of him now was the need to feed.

Roxanne tripped and fell to the kitchen floor, dragging Mickey with her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pleaded for someone to save her. She didn't want to die like this! _Not by him, not like this!_ Her arms were getting tired and Mickey's chomping were getting more and more desperate.

Until all of the sudden something hit him across the head causing him to fall to the side and loosening his grip on the girl.

Roxanne took the opportunity to roll over to the side and crawl away with a whimper.

Looking up she saw it was Lucille that was now on top of Mickey; straddling across his torso the woman hit him again and again with the table lamp. Grunting with each blow she gave him, all the while Roxanne tried to stop her, reminding her who it was that she was trying to kill.

"Stop, please!" she cried.

Lucille couldn't stop. When she saw Mickey on top of her sister she lost it and grabbed the closest thing to her and smacked the object against his head. When she had rolled him over she noticed his condition, he was too far gone now.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath.

Lucille raised the lamp over her head before bringing it down against the man's skull, then again and again.

Roxanne threw herself at Lucille, hugging her from behind and resting her head against her shoulder. Crying and begging to stop hitting him.

"It's over, Ghost. Please just stop already. Please!" She understood why it had to be done but this was overkill.

Lucille let the lamp slip from her grasp when she felt the weight of her sister pressed against her back, snapping her back to reality.

The metal object hit the wooden floor with a thud. Her body trembled from the rush of adrenaline. Panting heavily she tried to calm herself down. And when she felt something warm and wet dripping on her shoulder, her bloodied hand reached for Roxanne, gently digging her fingers into the girl's brown hair.

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm so sorry but I had no choice...He was...He-"

Roxanne only sobbed and nodded against her shoulder while she rocked back and forth with Lucille.

* * *

Her dark curls were whipping wildly around her face as she stared down at the prom picture in her hand. She was still mourning Mickey's death. _One moment he was fine and the next..._ She had known him for so long, practically grew up with him.

She traced a finger over his face, missing his crooked smile. With a sigh she lifted her gaze towards the open car window, watching the woodsy scenery while wiping her watery eyes with a finger. Roxanne tried not to smudge her make-up any more than it already had.

They have been on the road for a while now. His death seemed to have been the wake-up call that they needed.

At first it was just the major cities; New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London,… Then slowly but surely the infection spread to smaller cities and towns. Then remote places like theirs were probably hit last. Their town was situated near Chattahoochee forest, not much was going on except if you were a hunter or a tourist that liked hiking.

It was getting too dangerous; by the time Mickey died half the town had already been evacuated or turned, and those that didn't turn were probably looting, or hiding like they were.

The driver had her fingers pressed to her lips, pondering about the events that had transpired over the last couple of days and what their next move should be.

She glanced at Roxanne through her aviator glasses every now and then. Poor girl was still grieving over her boyfriend. Although she never liked the guy she still felt sorry for her sister. She couldn't figure out why she disliked him though, he seemed to be a good kid. _Maybe it was 'cause he was datin' Roxy, the whole protective maternal thing or whatever they called it._

She dropped her hand from her lips and clutched the steering wheel while her other hand reached for Roxanne's, feeling awkward about how to approach this. So she gave her a reassuring squeeze without saying anything instead.

The stoic blonde wasn't much of a talker when it came to emotional topics. The two women were complete opposites of each other, you couldn't miss it.

Roxanne Perry was the social butterfly, she was always cheerful and optimistic. Nothing you could do or say could bring her mood down. She was the sensitive one but brave.

Lucille Wilder on the other hand was a 'lone wolf'. Mostly kept to herself. She had a harder time trusting people too which resulted in her not having many friends. She always speaks her mind and some took that as a sign of her being a bitch. But in a way, the girls complemented each other.

Roxanne looked over at Lucille, smiling sadly with a sniffle before looking back down at the tattooed hand holding hers and returned the squeeze. With a finger she quickly traced her mother's name inked in Sanskrit on the side of Lucille's hand, 'Avani'. How she wished she was here with them…

Lucille slowed the truck to a stop as they reached a stop sign taking the opportunity to turn in her seat and face Roxy, squeezing her hand again.

Her mirrored sunglasses were big on her, barely making her eyebrows visible as she tried to comfort her little sister. "We'll get through this," she said, trying to reassure her, "I promise."

Roxanne nodded at her, sighing at the mess they were in.

The sentimental moment passed when the engine turned itself off again. Lucille turned the key but the car wouldn't start; hearing the engine stutter.

Roxanne's eyes grew wide as she looked around the road before asking, "Are we out of gas again?"

Lucille gritted her teeth as she tried and tried again, "No, we ain't outta gas. It's just a…" she started to grunt and slam her fists against the wheel and dashboard in frustration before yelling, "...worthless, piece of shit!"

One more turn of the key and the motor started up again. The blonde took a few moments to calm down and glanced at Roxy, "She won't last long."

Roxanne looked worried, "Will we make it to the campgrounds at least?"

Lucille wondered that too. Not saying another word she continued their journey for as long as the truck would take them.

* * *

The roads were eerily empty with the occasional road block, heaps of cars piled together due to traffic jams and panic. Luckily for them they lived in a small town surrounded by wilderness and emptiness, so for now the roads won't be too jammed up.

They heard mentions of a refugee camp up in the mountains where the smaller communities were to gather until further notice. So that's where they were heading until a better plan comes up...

They drove in comfortable silence until Roxy stuffed the prom picture in the pocket of her dirty, blue, floral sundress.

Lucille always joked about her fashion style. She called it the cupcake look; cute and perky. But it fit her, she was more feminine than Lucille anyway.

Roxy turned in her seat to grab her bag and pulled out her camera and placed it in her lap for now. She rolled up the window first and then pulled down the sun visor, fixing her make-up and curly bob before pointing the camera at herself.

Roxy had Indian roots, from her mother's side. Her skin was a beautiful olive color without a blemish whatsoever. She was a bit on the voluptuous side when it came to her figure. And according to her late mother she had her father's eyes, jade green. The man died in a work accident when she was a baby, so Lucille was all she really had as a parental figure now.

Lucille glanced at her, smiling a bit and shook her head at the girl's vlogging habits. "Whatcha' doin'?" she asked in that typical southern accent of hers.

 _The girl just recently lost her home, her boyfriend and nearly got infected herself; and already she's plastered on that damn camera of hers._ If this was any other day she would probably upload it to YouTube, just another video in between the ones about her fashion style and DIY projects.

Lucille smirked as she watched the road, she was kind of relieved to see Roxy getting back to her old self again.

Roxanne paused, opening and closing her mouth, searching for the right answer.

She then looked at Lucille with a serious expression. "For posterity," she said with a firm nod before she pressed the record button. "And to keep me sane. Like keeping a journal," she added.

Right now she needed to clear her thoughts and didn't care if Lucille was next to her to hear it.

 _Always the dramatic one…_ "Posterity? Yer makin' it sound like it's the end of the world," she chuckled.

Roxanne gave her a look that could only be described as 'duh'.

Lucille arched a brow and then cleared her throat. "It's just rabies, it'll blow over," she lied.

Part of her wanted to pretend that everything was fine, but it wasn't. They were dirty, hungry, tired, and scared. And still had a long ways to go for the campgrounds. What Lucille really wanted right now was a bath, and to wake up from this nightmare hoping she was having a bad trip from whatever she was smoking.

She stifled a yawn at the thought of her comfy bed, the image beckoning to her like an old lover. But then again, it'd be hard finding sleep with a dead guy in your kitchen.

There was another thing that bothered her. Two things even by the name of Dixon. No one who thought about that name did it with love in their hearts. Hell, even she couldn't call it love but she owed a lot to these men.

Roxanne wrinkled her nose in annoyance, "Really, rabies? After what we've seen you're goin' with rabies? I'm nineteen, Ghost! Not twelve, geez. I know what's happenin'…"

After all these years Lucille still treated her like a little kid. Always trying to sugarcoat things for her, which was funny considering how blunt she is with others.

"And I know you're worryin' about the Dixons," she said quietly before adding, "We're better off without them, they're nothin' but trouble."

Lucille kept her hands on the steering wheel, sucking on her teeth and sighing loudly. She couldn't say she was wrong, the boys are absolutely trouble. In fact they have been a bad influence on her but circumstances brought them together and she learned to care for them….to an extent.

Roxanne lifted the camera again and started recording, clearing her throat and began to talk about their journey so far.

* * *

"...He just wouldn't stop so we had to…" She didn't want to say the word 'kill', it wasn't like that. She looked at Lucille, "...It was self-defense. We just wanted him to stop." She was talking more to her sister now than the camera, somehow trying to appease the blonde's conscious for killing a man.

Lucille had never done that before, not even for self-defense. She always got out lucky during her shit years, or someone else took care of the problem for her.

Lucille briefly glanced at Roxy and grumbled for her to stop talking about it with a quick wave of her hand.

Roxanne looked back into the camera, continuing her story to the point where they were now on their way to the refugee camp. She then turned the camera on her sibling, "Say somethin', Ghost. How do -you- feel?" she asked her.

Roxy felt like Lucille needed to talk about this before she starts to bottle things up again. She always bottled things up until that ticking bomb would explode and she'd do something she regretted.

Lucille frowned at her, "How do I feel? ...I dunno..."

Roxanne paused the camera and tried to convince her. "Just...tell the people what you're thinkin' of right now, what's your opinion about all this? It's good to talk about these things." She pointed the camera again.

Lucille's inked and cheap bejeweled hands clutched the steering wheel nervously. She never liked people filming her, nor take a picture. Roxy never understood why though, it couldn't be because she was insecure. She'd seen the woman flaunt her body before, she couldn't care less about it.

According to Roxy, Lucille had that perfect hourglass shaped body, toned due to harsh living. She was taller than Roxy who was 5'2, Lucille was 5'4. She often reminded her of a Southern Belle that took a wrong turn in her life somewhere. Her dirty blond hair was dyed with highlights, and was partly braided and partly pinned up in a sloppy fashion.

And her eyes, Lucille found them odd but Roxanne loved her eyes, they were vibrant and people often argued which color they were. Lucille happened to suffer from heterochromia, dual-colored eyes. She had one blue and one green.

Lucille's style could best be described as 'bohemian' meets 'biker chick', an intimidating woman looking like disaster.

Jewelry was her weakness though, the more the better: a bunch of mismatched set of earrings and a ton of rings on her fingers.

Roxy on the other hand was more simple with jewelry, just a necklace of an owl and one ring with a floral design. She never wore earrings before since she dreads the thought of having her ears pierced with a needle.

Roxanne sighed when Lucille remained quiet and shut the camera off. Leaning back in her seat she looked out the window, watching the trees pass by until her eye catches a man crossing the road recklessly. She shot up straight, "Look out!" she screamed and grabbed hold of Lucille's arm in the hopes of getting her attention.

Lucille was distracted because she was fiddling with the car radio, trying to find a working station with some news about the outbreak. But all she could ever find was either static, a doomsday preacher who preached about sinners getting what they deserved, and the same pre-recorded message that they've been hearing since they left. She startled when Roxy started screaming and tugging on her arm.

With a gasp, she turned the wheel violently to the right, trying to avoid the jaywalker. But in doing so the truck swerved off the road and crashed into some trees.

...And then everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Dun-Dun-Duuuun... Until Next Time!**

 **-Teaser for Next Chapter-**

 _ **"Stop! Do not make me do this!" she pleaded one last time.**_

 _ **A bloodied hand grasped her boot.**_

 _ **"Fuck."**_

 _ **She pulled the trigger...**_


	2. Dahlonega

**A/N: _I'm currently working on Chapter 9, it's almost finished so I'll be starting chapter 10 soon._**

 _ **I try not to post too many chapters at once, that way I have some time to work on chapters and deal with potential writer blocks. But in the meanwhile you guys will have chapters to look forward to.**_

* * *

The sound of a car horn blaring non-stop was what woke up Roxanne.

Looking around confused she pushed the deflated airbag out of the way. It took her a couple of seconds to realize where she was and what had happened. When she saw the damage to the car's front she froze for a moment before frantically looking down at herself for any injuries, luckily she was just really sore.

She pushed her hair out of her face before placing her hands and head on the dashboard, thanking whoever was watching over her. "I'm okay, I'm okay, okay..." she chants as she straightened herself in her seat, placing her hand over her heart feeling like she just ran a marathon.

She looks over at Lucille finally realizing why the car horn was sounding non-stop. She frowned when the woman wasn't moving, "Lucille?"

The driver's airbag had malfunctioned and now Lucille was slumped against the steering wheel.

Roxanne quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled over to her sister, carefully pulling her off the wheel, stopping the horn.

She noticed Lucille had a nasty bruise forming on her forehead already, some cuts here and there, and a split lip. As she placed her trembling fingers against the blonde's throat she let out a sigh of relief when she felt the skin underneath pulsating. "Oh, thank God. Oh, thank you. You're okay."

Roxy pulled out her phone, smiling at the signal bars that were showing up. She called 911 and waited to hear the click, "Hello?! I need-" She frowned as she listened to the message…

 _"Due to a recent outbreak of illness, Georgia is now in a state of emergency. Those infected are highly contagious and can become aggressive. Please remain calm and stay indoors, lock your windows and doors. And avoid any infected individuals. If you believe yourself to be infected, quarantine yourself and wait for help to arrive. This is a pre-recorded message."_

Dejected she lowered her phone as she looked at Lucille -who was still out of it- with tear-filled eyes.

She leaned back and ran a hand through her brown hair, mumbling to herself. It was during moments like these that she wished her mother was still alive. _She would know what to do, she would also know how to take care of Ghost._ "Why didn't I pay more attention to her first aid lessons?" she whined.

She glanced at her phone again, "Okay, there's no help comin'. So what do we do?"

She looked around the car, noting how the windshield was severely cracked, there were pieces of glass everywhere but then she spotted the GPS system. "If help doesn't come. We go lookin' for it," she said with determination as she grabbed the GPS. She checked to see if it still worked and then tried to pinpoint their location.

She was relieved to know that they were pretty close to a town. It was either searching for help in town or wait for a car passing by, and these days she wasn't sure if there will be any. She had to do something…

"Alright, Ghost. We've got a plan," she muttered to her sister.

She grabbed her bag, making sure she had her ID with her. She opened the door but then paused.

She looked over her shoulder at the unconscious woman and bit her lip. _What if Ghost wakes up before help arrives and freaks out?_ Knowing her the woman would be furious and worried sick about her if she found out Roxy left her alone in here. Ever since her mom died she became overly protective, suffocating so.

She opened her bag and took out a ballpoint pen. She crawled back to Lucille and took her hand, writing a note on her palm. With that Roxy then climbed out of the car with her bag.

She closed the door and checked her watch, "Almost Noon." She was about to walk to the road when she heard something snap in the woods.

She spun around, looking around to see what spooked her. "Hello?! Who's there?!" she yelled at the trees...no answer. She began to fiddle with her bag and pulled out a small can, "I got pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it!"

There was still no answer from the woods so she shook her head and cursed to herself for being so paranoid.

She put the can away and walked down the road, glancing at the red truck every now and then before she picked up the pace to find help.

* * *

Lucille was in deep concentration, the pencil tip going tap-tap-tap each time it slipped between her fingers. She wrote the word 'ALAS' in the boxes and crossed out number 12.

She had decided to visit Roxy at Rosalie's Diner to take her home when she was done with her shift.

Roxanne was leaning against the counter on the other side of it, standing in her yellow uniform with a cute white apron.

Lucille always hated the look of those, they were too...cheerful and perky for her taste.

Roxy had an arm tucked under her bosom while she bit on her nails. She was watching the news...

The reporter on the television was clearly worried herself as she brought the news, " _...16179 suspected cases of rabies, including 1423 deaths. This is a rapidly growing outbreak with some unprecedented features. Suspected cases have been increasing very quickly, tripling over the last two weeks. This is the first large-scale, and fastest spreading rabies outbreak to hit any country…"_

"Media always exaggerates…" Lucille scoffed. She frowned at her crossword puzzle then looked up at Roxy, "Stylin' foam, six letters."

Roxy lowered her hand and looked at her sister with disbelief. She couldn't understand how calm Lucille can be when all this was happening right here in Georgia. In their own little town.

She grabbed the pot of freshly brewed coffee and wandered over to a patron sitting at a table by the window. "Mousse," she shot over her shoulder.

Lucille nodded slowly, her lips curling slightly, "Ah, mousse." She filled in the boxes, "Yer such a girl…"

"Hah," Roxy snickered, "You know, you should know this stuff. It's part of bein' a lady!"

She had just walked past the counter when the doors were pushed open with a cry for help.

She turned around and, "Mickey! Oh my God!" She put the coffee pot aside and rushed to his side.

Mickey burst through the doors carrying an elderly man. As soon as he spotted his girl he rushed towards her. "Roxy, call an ambulance. Pops ain't doin' so good," he said in a breathy voice.

While Roxy called for an ambulance on her phone, Lucille helped Mickey place the man on the floor and made a makeshift pillow with her flannel shirt.

The old man was soaked in sweat. His skin a sickly grey tint.

Lucille noticed the blood on the young man's arm, "What happened?" she asked warily.

Mickey was panting, he followed her gaze to his arm, "Yea...Some psycho bit me earlier. It was weird, I dunno what his problem was. But I'm fine, it just stings is all," he reassured the woman while trying to stay calm himself.

"He wasn't feelin' good," he said, motioning to his grandfather, "but he insisted he still wanted to go out huntin'. But then it got really bad in the truck just now, the diner was nearby… so…"

Roxy tried to comfort her boyfriend. Lucille on the other hand was staring at the sick man, he was wailing about pain and mumbling about something she didn't quite get. _Okay...maybe the news was right and this is real…_

She listened how his moans turned into strange guttural sounds. But there was another sound that she couldn't place, like it didn't belong in the scene. A thumping.

Where was that thumping coming from?

The first thing Lucille noticed when she woke up was the splitting headache.

Her eyes fluttered open, the world around her still a haze. Her glasses were cracked and sitting crooked on her nose. She looked past the broken windshield and saw how the truck was pretty much totaled now.

It didn't quite sink in for her yet that they had crashed.

She leaned forward, wincing at the throbbing in her head and the bruising she felt forming on her chest. With a groan she took off her seatbelt and pulled down her white tank top and saw the marks left behind on her bosom and left shoulder.

"Yaaay technology," she muttered sarcastically. She was grateful that Roxy was such a safety freak because her seatbelt saved her life.

"Roxy…" she groaned looking at the empty seat next to her. Lucille blinked a couple of times, as if the action would somehow make her sister magically reappear. _She's not here? What? Wait...ugh._ She couldn't think with all that moaning and thumping!

She looked over to her left only to let out a yelp, frantically crawling backwards to Roxy's seat when she saw a large man banging against the door, pressing his torn and blood caked face against the window.

She slowly took off her sunglasses, mouth agape staring at the man in horror. "To hell with the government, this ain't rabies," she grumbled in a shaky voice.

She saw movement around the truck and noticed another person shuffling about, doing the same thing as his hungry friend. They were acting just like Mickey did, crazed and determined to take a chunk out of her.

So here she was; trapped in her shitty car, surrounded by these 'Freaks' and Roxanne was nowhere to be seen. She kept looking back and forth between the crazed folk, debating what she should do. If she could even do anything?

She started to look around and rummaged through the car, trying to find a solution but instead found Roxanne's camera. It was lying on the floor by the backseat. That's when she noticed that Roxanne's bag was missing. _So that means...she made it out._

Briefly she smiled at the thought before it turned into a frown. _She took the bag and fuckin' left me?!_ She clenched her jaw and sucked in air. She was about to crawl over to the backseat to try and look out the windows but when she placed her hand on the headrest she noticed some writing on her palm.

'Dahlonega,

Getting help

-Roxy'

Lucille's anger dissipated at reading the message, "What the fuck is Dahlonega?"

She must've hit her head harder than she thought. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to concentrate through the headache before finding her target on the dashboard. "Dahlonega's gotta be a place, right?" she pondered.

She picked up the GPS and searched for the town. She was proud at how well Roxanne was handling the situation. The girl was only trying to help; Lucille was passed out and she panicked.

She felt a pang of guilt now, she really needed to be less controlling of the girl.

She looked up at the ceiling sighing heavily, "Ava...I'm tryin'," mumbling to a distant memory.

Now that the anger and panic have subsided she tried to organize her thoughts, taking things one step at the time.

She glared at the Freaks clawing at the doors then looked towards the direction she needed to take before gathering her duffel bag. She put on her sunglasses again and stuffed Roxanne's camera in her bag.

She then scooted back to her own seat and bends down, reaching underneath it and pulled out a metal box. Inside was her Magnum revolver and the ammo box.

She looked back and forth between the weapon and the Freaks. Having the big guy on the driver's side and the other one on the passenger's.

Nodding slowly, she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins while shouting at her assailants, "Yea, ya'll just...just keep goin' at it! That's right!"

With a snap she shut the chamber and lifted the gun, flashing it at the people moaning and banging against the car.

"See that?!" she shouted, trying to look tough while looking between the two, "It's loaded, so get the FUCK away from me!" She pointed the gun at them and still they didn't respond.

Then she heard the glass break on her side. The Freak was placing so much force against the already damaged window that it was starting to break.

She shuddered. She didn't want to do this, but she also didn't want to die.

She took deep breaths when she placed her bag next to her, readying herself and pumping herself up even more. She turned to the door on the passenger side, looking over her shoulder again to see how the big guy was already reaching through the broken window with his arms.

She opened the door to a crack first then with one big kick she forced the door open, slamming it into the other guy. She quickly climbed out and pointed the gun at him while he was still down.

"Stop! Do not make me do this!" she pleaded one last time.

She glanced over at the big one again who was now making his way around the truck while the other one was crawling towards her feet with a gurgle. A bloodied hand grasping her boot.

"Fuck."

She pulled the trigger shooting him right in the head. She shook his hand from her boot and quickly turned around, just in time too.

The larger Freak had just walked around the truck, reaching out to her as his groaning grew louder and more urgent.

Lucille fired another shot at him, shocked that he was still moving. "I shot ya in the chest…" She shot him again and again, still he was moving.

Lucille stepped back, tripping over the first guy with a cry. She quickly took her glasses off and then shot the man in the head before he could get a chunk out of her. And down he went tumbling over her legs.

Lucille panted and leaned back on her elbow for a bit, trying to catch her breath.

But the commotion must've drawn the attention of the third Freak who suddenly emerged from the woods.

The decaying woman lunged towards her but Lucille couldn't get away. She tried to kick the fat corpse off her legs but failed. So she fired her last bullet and missed, "Oh fuck!"

She tossed the gun aside and held out her arms to try and keep the woman off of her.

Frantically she began to search for the strap around her right thigh, trying to grasp her knife.

The woman's weight was taking a toll on her. The Freak was inching closer and closer, snapping her teeth at her. And when Lucille finally got the knife out she stabbed wildly at the woman with a primal scream. Her neck, her shoulder, her sides, nothing worked.

The Freak just kept going, her hands painfully clamping down on Lucille's arms.

"Die already!" she screeched at her and with one more try she stabbed her in the head, right into the temple. The moment the blade buried itself to the hilt the woman ceased and collapsed on top of her.

Lucille froze, panting heavily as tears streamed down her cheeks. She slowly let go of the embedded knife, blood seeping onto her clothes and staining her hands.

She began to push the dead off of her with trembling hands. Rolling the stabbed woman to the side and then carefully slipping from underneath the large man.

The adrenaline was still rushing through her as she crawled backwards until her back was against a tree.

She tried to calm down, and when she did; her heartbeat steady again. For a few moments she wondered if perhaps this was a nightmare after all. Hoping that if she closed her eyes long enough she would wake up...but she didn't.

She felt a tear roll down her cheek and wiped it away with her hand but frowned when her cheek felt even wetter and stickier than before. When she looked down at her hand she grimaced, it was covered in dark blood. She quickly wiped her hand on her tank top, suddenly fearing for the disease to infect her as well.

Lucille crawled back up, pushing herself off the tree and walked towards the truck in a hurry. She took her duffel bag and took out the first piece of clothing she saw and sat down in the car.

She pulled down the sun visor that was now barely dangling off its hinges, looking at her reflection with disgust.

Not only was her left cheek streaked with tears and blood, but she was dirty from falling onto the ground and had injuries as well.

For some reason seeing them made her more aware of the pain she was in. She gingerly touched the wounds, relieved to see that the tainted blood did not come into contact with the cuts and split lip.

She searched around the car for the bottle of water that she knew was here somewhere. Soaking a corner of the T-shirt she was holding and began to clean her face and hands.

Her mind wandering to Roxanne when she did. She didn't want to think about the worst, she wouldn't allow it. But Roxy wasn't exactly the fighting type…

She tossed the T-shirt away. "Alright, that's enough…" she said with growing frustration. She wasted enough time dealing with those fucks and cleaning herself up.

She tossed the bag outside the truck before rummaging further through the debris, checking if there was anything else she could use here. The bottle of water was a given. She also found the old, grey blanket; figured that it might be useful for when the night falls.

She then stepped out of the vehicle, slamming the door shut. She placed the blanket and bottle of water over the bag for a bit. Turning to the trio of corpses but approaching the female one.

She bent down and carefully pulled the blade out of the woman's skull, fighting back the nausea when she became aware of the smells wafting her way and hearing the squishy noises of brain matter and goop. With a grimace she wiped the blade onto the woman's shirt, muttering a 'sorry' at her.

She quickly got up, staring upwards and covering her nose and mouth with the back of her hand, waiting whether she was going to puke or not. "It ain't like the movies," she said with revulsion.

Movies don't really explain the rotting process of a human body, nor the smells and fluids that come with it. The thought of it alone was enough to make her turn and empty her stomach contents by the trees.

Once recovered she placed the hunting knife back in its strap then turned around and found her Magnum again.

She began to think as she glanced back at the corpses. So far her encounters with them showed that head trauma was the only thing that stopped them. She slowly figured it out, "Makes sense. The brain controls the body." She made a mental note about it for the next one.

She then went back to her duffel bag to reload her gun before sliding it in the back of her jeans and put the rest of the ammo in her bag. She stuffed the bottle and the blanket in it too, barely able to fully close it.

Huffing at the extra weight she had to carry now before slinging the strap over her shoulder. She winced at the pressure on the seatbelt bruising. She looked around the road and the woods before she put her glasses back on her nose and began her journey to Dahlonega.

* * *

 **A/N: So, what do you guys think so far? :3**

 **-Teaser for next Chapter-**

 _ **"What do ya plan to do?" she asked him, breaking the silence in the room.**_

 _ **James turned to her, visibly struggling to answer that question.**_

 _ **"It'd be better if ya keep the kids away from her-"**_

 _ **James' facial features cracked and he looked her dead in the eyes, "Let me decide what's best for -my- family..."**_

 _ **Lucille scoffed, chuckled almost, "Twelve hours..."**_


	3. Twelve Hours

**A/N: Don't be afraid to leave a review ^^**

* * *

Lucille readjusted the strap of her duffel bag, wincing again at the pain the pressure was giving her.

She slowed down her pace when she entered the town and then stopped in the middle of the road, staring. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, _had it gotten this bad?_

She carefully approached a mangled corpse, her hand lingering over her thigh strap. She was disturbed by the amount of corpses that were scattered about the streets.

She looked around, her thumb gently rubbing over the 'Ganesha' tattoo on her right pinky. Praying that Roxanne would not be among those bodies.

She thought that the trailer park they came from was terrible but Dahlonega looked like a gory ghost town compared to theirs. She figured that looters must've hit early too by the sight of some of the stores.

The deeper she went into town, the more dead were roaming about. She was getting increasingly more anxious at the thought of Roxy being stuck here. She knew she had to be careful now.

Slowly she sneaked from car to car with her survival knife, trying to hide and avoid as many of those Freaks as she could.

When she spotted movement inside one of the cars she was crouching next to, she frowned.

A young man peeked at her, and he was very much alive judging by how his eyes grew wide and then ducked again.

She opened the door and immediately the man began to protest. "No, no, no! Get your own spot! You're not taking this car!" he said in a harsh whisper, not wanting to draw attention to the undead while trying to kick his feet at her.

Lucille shielded herself from the first couple of kicks heading her way but then clamped down onto his feet while shushing him, "Shh...I don't want yer stupid car. I need to ask a question that's it," she said quietly while trying to hold him still.

The man stopped kicking and pondered before he nervously agreed, "O-okay, what is it? Make it fast!"

Lucille nodded, "Did ya happen to see an Indian girl wanderin' around here? Short, brunette, kinda chubby?" She arched a brow, impatiently awaiting his answer.

He shook his head so she retreated and closed the car before moving on again, annoyed by his answer. _Useless..._ "He'll be dead by nightfall…" she muttered to herself. _Who the fuck hides in a car with those shits around?_

She turned into a street that seemed to be less crowded.

She crouched down, silently assessing the situation and figuring out where to go next. At this rate she might never find Roxy, and she can't just yell her name around the streets either without risking to 'ring the dinner bell'.

She then spotted a small Walgreen's across the street at the corner. _That's lucky_ , she thought. She could really use some painkillers for her head and maybe a first aid kit if there were any. The windows and door didn't seem to be in a bad shape but the lights were out.

After looking around the street for Freaks she quickly crossed it.

She carefully opened the door, hoping not to be too loud. She took her glasses off and hooked them on her cleavage. For a brief moment she debated whether she should put her bag down but decided against it, not wanting to have it stolen.

She kept her eyes and ears open while she rummaged through the leftovers of the pharmacy. She found 1 bottle of aspirin, and half a box of small band-aids. This place was hit hard from the beginning.

When she spotted a box with some bandages she put away her knife and stuffed the other items down her bag first.

She walked towards the bandages having just enough time to place her hand on it when she heard footsteps heading towards her.

They sounded too fast to belong to someone dead, so in reflex she reached for her gun and spun around, ready to point it at whoever tried to ambush her.

It was another man, more rugged looking. He had a bat in his hands and pushed Lucille against the shelves. "Those bandages are mine!" he said, using his size to intimidate her as he tried to take the box from her hands.

Lucille tried to push back but it made him chuckle at her futile attempt. "Come on, lady! I'm bigger than you."

With a grunt she managed to lift the gun up and press it against his belly. " But -I- have a gun," she hissed with clenched teeth.

The man immediately released her when he felt that familiar pressure pressing in his gut, holding up his arms. "Easy, girl…" he said with a hoarse voice.

She cocked the hammer of the revolver now that there was a distance between them. "Get out."

When the man admitted defeat and left, Lucille let out a heavy breath. Panting and visibly shaking. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back bad memories as she eased her breathing before stuffing the box of bandages in her bag.

She slid her gun back behind her jeans, covering it with her tank top, and put her sunglasses on.

Lucille knew since the beginning of their evacuation that it was the living they needed to fear more than the dead. When people are desperate, they are unpredictable. This time she had Lady Luck on her side, but she knew it won't last forever.

* * *

Roxanne smiled warmly at Shondra as she handed a glass of water to her. While the woman sipped Roxy carefully pulled up her sleeve, checking the bite mark again.

She tried to keep her face blank, not wanting to scare her or the others. But all she could think about was Mickey and how Shondra was showing similar symptoms. She's already looking feverish.

And Shondra already looked like she was uncomfortable with just sitting...

Roxy pulled the sleeve back down and recommended the woman to take a nap. She looped an arm around Shondra's waist and helped her to the bedroom, glancing at her husband when passing him by, a worried frown on her brow.

James wouldn't meet her gaze, his eyes focused on his wife instead while sitting by their son. Roxy had explained what would happen but he wouldn't listen to her.

She sighed when she came back out and walked towards the window to peer outside.

They were hiding in a bar, the upstairs specifically. The owner must've lived here, it was a small apartment. It was fairly clean but dark, and outdated.

She rested her elbows on the window sill, her chin in her hand as she glanced around through the curtains. Watching the occasional Freak wandering about aimlessly until she saw movement by the Walgreen's, she leaned a bit closer to the glass waiting to see who would emerge. The undead or the living?

She saw a female figure slowly emerging from the store, she had blonde hair and a duffel bag.

Roxanne frowned, her chin slowly lifting from her hand. When the blonde woman turned to reveal her face as she carefully walked down the road, Roxanne nearly squealed in excitement.

She stood up straight and tapped her hands on the glass furiously. "Ghost! Ghost!" she yelled.

Mike and James rushed over to her, James grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the window, chastising her about the yelling, "Are you trying to kill us?! What is it?" he asked his companion.

Mike was looking out, making sure the curtains kept him hidden. "There's a girl. She's alive," he reported before looking at the rest of the group.

Roxanne nodded repeatedly, her arm still in a tight grip by the tall, African-American man, "It's Ghost, I mean Lucille, my sister. The one I talked about earlier, the car crash?"

An older, dark-blonde woman in a waitress outfit was sitting on the couch and had one arm around the 9-year old boy's shoulder, and another arm looped around the waist of a baby girl that was sitting on her lap, not even a year old.

She remembered Roxanne's cry for help very well, "Well let's get her inside then before they see her."

Roxy glanced hopeful back to the father and Mike, waiting for their approval.

James nodded and released her arm, "I'm coming with you. You two stay here," he ordered the others.

The two headed into the bar area; navigating the upturned tables and chairs.

Roxanne was the first to reach the front door but was stopped by James as he placed his hand on the door, looming over her. "Calm," he said gently at her, "We don't want to attract -them-."

Roxanne took a deep breath and nodded, he was right. Her excitement can not jeopardize this group.

They checked the large windows, peeking through the cracks of the nailed down boards to make sure there were no undead roaming nearby.

Roxanne then peeked out the door and searched for her sister. She scanned the street where she last saw her and when she found her, she waved at her and called her name as quietly as she could.

Lucille had managed to sneak up behind a Freak and drove her blade through the back of its skull. Gently and quietly placing him on the ground.

She was wiping the blade on its clothes when she heard her name being called.

She looked up and glanced around until she saw Roxanne standing by a bar. She had to take off her glasses, to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. She smiled when she saw her baby sister alive and well.

She crossed the street and quickly entered the bar.

As soon as she got inside Roxanne burst into tears, apologizing profusely about leaving her behind.

Lucille just hugged her tightly and shushed her, "It's alright, baby girl, ya did the right thing. I'm here now," she comforted Roxy, rubbing a hand across her back while letting her cry onto her shoulder.

James cleared his throat and placed a hand on Roxanne's shoulder, "Let's go back upstairs so she can meet the others and rest." When Roxanne had talked about her sister, he didn't expect them to be the adopted type.

Lucille eyed him suspiciously before she nodded at him. _...Others?..._ She hooked her glasses in her cleavage again as she followed them.

Roxanne didn't let go of her hand as they headed upstairs, fearing that Lucille might disappear again if she didn't.

And neither did Lucille...

* * *

Mike was the first to greet them, "Everything alright?" he asked, curious about the newcomer.

James nodded at him, reassuring that everyone was fine but just to make sure he went to the window of the living room and slightly moved the curtains, making sure they didn't attract any unwanted attention.

Roxanne sniffled and took a deep breath to calm herself down before she introduced her sister to everyone. "Everyone meet Lucille. Or you can call her Ghost," she chuckled.

Lucille didn't mind the nickname but she did mind all the staring everyone did and smiled awkwardly with a small wave. She was surprised to see children though.

She glanced up at the Caucasian guy named Mike, he was a bit on the bulky side. _A tough guy_ , she mentally noted.

The man frowned at her when his gaze drifted down her body, "Your blood or theirs?"

Lucille looked down at herself, realizing her tank top and jeans were covered in goop and blood from killing Freaks.

Roxanne's eyes widened at the sight, "What happened?" she asked, holding Lucille's arm even tighter.

Lucille reassured the group, "Theirs. I ran into some trouble on my way here. I wasn't bit, I'm fine," she quickly mentioned. She looked at Roxy and reassured her again personally, trying to pry her iron grip from the arm bruises.

The last part made James tense up, thinking about his wife so he discreetly went to check up on her.

Lucille followed the man's movements with her dual-colored eyes, noticing another person hidden in the bedroom before the door closed. By the way they talk and dressed she could tell that they weren't from around here. It showed they were more upper class than she and Roxy was.

"I'm Mike," the bulky man said with a smile and extended his hand.

Lucille turned and shook his hand, " Nice to meet ya."

Roxanne took her to the couch and helped her take off her duffel bag, noticing how she briefly winced at the action. "You sure you're okay?" she asked but then grimaced when she saw the purple bruise on her shoulder.

Lucille groaned and then sat down giving up on hiding her pain, audibly relishing at the comfort the couch gave her. "It's bruisin' from the car crash, I'm fine. The seat belt got me good though."

Lucille turned to the people sitting next to her; the waitress and the kids, waiting for Roxanne to introduce them.

"This is Mary, she's the waitress of this bar. And these are Dwayne and Cora," Roxy said with a small smile as she sat down on the floor.

Dwayne looked a bit shy but managed to say a small 'hello'.

Lucille glanced at the children, figuring that the boy had to be around 8 or 10 years old, give or take. And the baby… "How old's the baby?" she asked.

Mary glanced down at the baby, not really sure how old she is. So the father answered instead, having rejoined the others, "Cora's 10 months old. She was a surprise."

Lucille turned in her seat with a small groan, listening to the father. Not knowing what to say or what she was expected to say when Mary and James kept looking at her. "She's ...very pretty," she answered after a few moments of awkward silence, she was not good at talking with strangers.

Roxanne noticed and helped her out, "Uhm, this is James. He was the one that let me stay here, and his wife Shondra is resting in the bedroom. If it weren't for him then..." she couldn't finish the sentence but Lucille had a pretty good idea of what would have happened.

Lucille glanced over her shoulder, then nodded and quickly thanked the man, "Thank you, very much. She's all I have…I. Thank you."

Mike got curious, "So… how did you find us? I mean her," he said as he sat down in the armchair.

* * *

Lucille leaned back when she was done retelling her encounters by the crash site, rubbing her hand over her face and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Roxanne was deeply disturbed, she remembered the noises she heard in the woods. _Why did I leave her alone?_ She felt a tear roll down her cheek but then quickly composed herself when Lucille grumbled at the sight of tears.

"Well, if it's any consolation. I learned somethin' from it, ya can only kill 'em by gettin' 'em in the head," Lucille said trying to cheer Roxy up. She knew the girl must feel like crap, gently lifting her chin, "Ya did good gettin' out of there and searchin' for help. Good thing ya locked the doors too."

Roxanne nodded.

Lucille smiled before her usual frown graced her facial features again, "Now quit bein' a baby!"

Roxy chuckled then glanced at her injuries and then the handprints on Lucille's arms. She couldn't help but still feel guilty for not checking the woods. Lucille almost died because of her.

Mary took the children and moved them to the small kitchen, to see if she could give them anything to eat and to give the sisters some privacy.

"Okay, show me," Roxy said, wanting to inspect the injuries herself.

Lucille didn't protest and let her play nurse to ease her nerves. As Roxy began to poke and prod at the cuts and bruises Lucille quickly remembered something, "Oh, I found some painkillers at that Walgreen's, and band-aids. It's in the bag."

James was quick to move when he heard 'painkillers', he quickly tore through Lucille's bag and when he found them he disappeared just as fast into the bedroom.

Lucille and Roxanne both stared at the door in surprise and shock at the man's boldness.

Lucille wasn't a fool though, she turned to Roxy and spoke in a low voice, "What's goin' on?"

Roxanne closed her eyes briefly and pressed her lips together before spilling the beans as she searched the duffel bag for those band-aids, "She's bit and he won't listen to me. I told him about...Mickey... but he says that his wife is stronger," she sadly said.

Lucille's upper lip twitched in annoyance and disgust, pondering about what to do; does she stay here with Roxy and risk another Mickey incident? Or does she pack her bags and try their luck elsewhere?

"How long since she's been bit?" she asked Roxy.

Roxy shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, it must've happened before I got here. But I could tell that she'll be in pain pretty soon and after that…"

Lucille waved a hand at her, not having to hear the rest to know how this evening will end.

"Oh, I got yer stupid camera too," Lucille muttered as she reached for her bag, sifting through the contents she pulled it out and handed it to Roxy.

The girl was pleased but her smile morphed into an embarrassed look, the kind kids had when they were in trouble.

"What?" she asked.

Roxy bit her lip, "I...lost my bag when I ran away from those things."

Lucille blinked and sighed, "Fine. I'll keep it for now."

Roxy nodded and continued tending to Lucille's face, sticking band-aids on the cuts.

* * *

It was getting darker out. The group had spend some time getting to know each other better, exchanging stories about their evacuation. Some even had theories about where this virus might come from, the popular theme was 'conspiracy' or 'God's will'. Even Shondra had briefly made her appearance to meet Lucille.

Lucille was surprised that the woman still cared about making 'proper acquaintances' when she was pretty much dead already. It made Lucille nervous how her trigger finger was getting itchy...

It was quiet now, everyone was asleep except for James who was looking out the window keeping guard.

Shondra slept in the bedroom with the children, Mike had nodded off in the armchair with arms crossed over his chest and ball cap pulled low. Mary had taken the couch, and Roxanne and Lucille were fine sleeping on the ground and using the duffel bag as a pillow.

Lucille couldn't find sleep either, not while knowing that there's an infected woman in the other room. She had her sunglasses on, her eyes and ears trained on the bedroom door, one arm was tucked behind her head and the other wrapped around Roxy's shoulder.

Roxy had her head on Lucille's shoulder and both were covered in that old blanket Lucille salvaged. Roxy must've been really drained from this emotional roller coaster because she practically fell asleep as soon as she laid her head down.

Lucille turned her gaze at the father, he had a stern look on his face and was in deep thought. "What do ya plan to do?" she asked him, breaking the silence in the room.

James turned to her, visibly struggling to answer that question.

Lucille watched him unmoving, "It'd be better if ya keep the kids away from her...should be any moment now," she coldly said. Lucille wasn't the type to sugarcoat things or pretend that everything will be okay (except for Roxanne). She always thought it was a waste of time to beat around the bush.

James' facial features cracked and he looked her dead in the eyes, "Let me decide what's best for -my- family. You don't know Shondra like I do, she's strong. She'll beat this thing."

Lucille scoffed, chuckled almost. "That's what we said when Roxy's boyfriend was delusional from the fever and cryin' out in pain…" she said while staring at Roxanne's sleeping form tucked closely next to hers.

James shook his head and held up both his hands calling this conversation done.

"Twelve hours," Lucille added.

James glanced at her, knowing she had more to say.

"Twelve hours for the fever to hit, him to die, and tryin' to eat Roxy…" she frowned and swallowed, "...And for me to kill him to save her," she added quietly.

* * *

The night went by without incident. Mike had taken the second watch so James could tend to his wife who was getting worse by the minute. Even the painkillers that he had been hogging for her were no longer working.

Lucille was pissed at the waste.

Back in the bedroom Shondra caressed her husband's cheek, "You have to let me go. I'm not going to get better and you know it," she said with strained voice. Her brow sticky with sweat and face contorted in pain, even breathing was getting more and more difficult for her. She just wanted for this to end and she refused to come back like those monsters...

James was crying, he didn't want to give up yet.

"You have to think about the children now, they need you…" she struggled.

James sobbed as he dragged a kitchen knife across the blankets...

People woke up late, everyone had a pretty rough night due to the wails of pain by Shondra and the cries of the baby. At some point even the children were brought out of the room so they could get better sleep and not witness their mother's suffering.

They had just finished breakfast, lucky for them there was still food left in the cupboards and Mary managed to feed everyone.

Glancing at the people Lucille didn't want to wait anymore so she decided to ask the obvious, "So what're ya'll plannin' to do now? Ya can't stay here forever, food will run out eventually and those Freaks will grow more desperate by the day," she looked around, observing their reactions.

When people struggled to come up with a concrete plan (or stupid plans), like reinforcing this bar and using the town for supplies, Roxanne looked at Lucille as if they were a hopeless bunch. She gave her a pleading look, clearly they needed help.

Lucille rolled her eyes at Roxy and then nodded with a 'shooing' motion as she moved past her to rummage through her duffel bag.

So Roxy got out of her way and offered them a solution, "Well we were on our way to the Smokey Mountain Campgrounds. We heard the military set up a refugee camp there. Supposedly there's food and water, medical support too. You can come with us…?"

Mike and Mary were all for it, both agreeing that it does sound better than being cooped up in here.

Mike looked nervous for a bit, "We...need to tell James about this. With Shondra..." he shook his head a bit, unsure if the little family would follow them or not.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," the tall man said with tear-stained cheeks and bloodied knife in hand.

Lucille looked up, carrying a stack of clean clothes for herself.

"She's gone," he said and then looked hard at Lucille. No matter how much he truly fucking hated her... she was right.

"I gave her mercy," he said partially to himself and to Lucille.

The boy started to cry and ran into his father's arms, causing James to drop the knife and focus on his son.

They decided to give the family some time to grief while the rest prepared their bags and looked around the apartment for anything that they could salvage and bring with them. Mainly some snacks and drinks for the road and some medicine they found.

Lucille in the meanwhile had changed into clean clothes, discarding the ones stained in blood. She didn't want to risk infection by keeping them. She wore another jeans with a long-sleeved, grey T-shirt made from cotton. She had the sleeves rolled up till her elbows, exposing more tattoos on her left lower arm.

They were Sanskrit prayers inked in black running from her wrist to the elbow, and the back of her hand had a gray-scale mandala in her own design.

Mike was looking out the window, to see if he could spot any Freaks but also to see if there was a car nearby large enough to take them all. He called for James and Lucille to show them, "There, see the grey one? Seems big enough if the kid sits on someone's lap," he said waiting for their opinions.

James looked back at the group and the stuff they were to carry. He nodded, turning to the others, "It's a plan then. We go to the minivan together, toss our stuff in the trunk while the girls take the kids in the backseat and then we head for the refugee camp."

Lucille agreed silently with a firm nod before moving to Roxy.

Mary and Roxanne were glad that he had picked himself up again, especially for Dwayne.

But then the boy blurted out, "What if the car is out of gas?" he asked with a worried expression towards his father.

Lucille piped up then, pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder, "The van will have enough gas to get us outta town, we can find more along the road if we need to." With that she left and took Roxanne by the hand heading downstairs. "Let's move, people," she shot over her shoulder.

Mike and James went ahead, sneaking past the undead and stabbing them in the back with a kitchen knife and the hunting knife that Lucille borrowed Mike...much to her chagrin. She offered to help dispatch the Freaks but the men wouldn't have it. Between the women, she was the most capable of protecting them.

As soon as the men reached the van, Lucille ordered the others to follow suit as she guided them to the car. And like Lucille said, there was enough gas.

The drive out of town was difficult at first but the rest of the trip was clear, the group was a little more at ease and hopeful again as they headed to the Smokey Mountains campgrounds.

* * *

 **A/N: Nope, that wasn't Negan. Just a coincidence. :3**

 **-Teaser for Next Chapter-**

 _ **He lowered his crossbow, "Merle?"**_

 _ **"Well, lookee here. Looks like we had the same idea. I figured I needed to pay a little visit to whoever ratted me out," he said with a sneer as he rummaged through Lucille's bedroom.**_

 _ **Daryl didn't believe it, "It's not 'er. She wouldn't do that," he said.**_

 _ **Merle looked up at him with a smirk, "Ohh, no-no, Little Brother. Dun' go defendin' 'er. She has the most to lose and ya know it! She wouldn't bat an eye for either of us."**_


	4. Rose Elephant

**A/N: Chapter 4 is finally here guys! And chapter 10 is being worked on. ^^**

 **I finally found a technique to keep my muse alive for longer. By forcing myself to write -at least- 400 words a day. That way the story keeps moving forward little by little and you train the brain to turn writing into a habit. I learned it from an article I read somewhere. (at later stages you can increase the word count to challenge yourself even more). I hope this technique might help others.**

 **Thank you for the follows, and thank you _elljayde_ for the comment. :D**

 **I personally never use faceclaims to visualize my characters. I find it stifles the creativity too much on my end, and I never find anyone that matches my character's faces like they do in my head, lol. Another reason why I prevent faceclaims is so the reader can use their own imagination to create their own 'ideal' face for the characters they read, it allows them a little more freedom that way. They get the basics (hair color, eye color, etc...) but the rest is up to them to decide. Same thing with location descriptions etc... :)**

* * *

Dwayne looked out the window in awe, his small hands on the glass as he sat more upright in Roxy's lap.

The campgrounds were crowded with tents and cars. Firefighters and police officers did their best to regulate everything, to keep everyone calm and have answers for their questions. Campfires were burning brightly in the distance here and there.

"There's so many people here," the little boy said. He and Roxy sat on the left side of the backseat, and Cora was sitting on Mary's lap in the middle.

Lucille was brooding, she wasn't comfortable being squished with a stranger and kids. If she had her way she would be the one driving. But instead she was watching out the window on her side.

Though she was relieved that they finally made it to safety but at the same time she was a little anxious about the amount of people.

Meanwhile James was focusing on trying not to run anyone over, and Mike and Mary were both looking around with relieved smiles on their faces, glad to have found a safe haven and a chance to see if any of their family members made it here as well.

Their trip took longer than they expected. The closer they got to the campgrounds the more roadblocks they encountered. Not to mention that they had to make frequent stops to stretch their legs and take some bathroom breaks, and find gas too.

Then there was the challenge to try and keep a baby; happy, fed, and stink free. They had no choice but to spend a night at a truck stop. And Lucille was even more cranky to find out that she had to sacrifice some t-shirts for the baby because they were out of diapers, and she was the smallest size they had. And nobody wanted to take clothes away from Dwayne, so... Roxanne had some chuckles out of it, much to Lucille's annoyance.

A deputy made James slow down the car, waving his arms about with a smile as he approached the vehicle. "Afternoon folks, where are you guys from?" the man asked them with a friendly smile as he scanned the passengers. When he saw the children he looked at them with pity and sadness.

James was the one to speak up, "Officer," he greeted him with a nod, " We all came from Dahlonega, at least that's where we met each other. Me and the kids are from Washington, and everyone else is...from around I guess," he explained while glancing at the people in the backseat.

To be fair he didn't really pay attention when they shared their stories with each other when they first met. And right now he just wanted to focus on the kids, get settled and wait for all this to blow over.

The deputy nodded and then frowned as he looked at all the new faces again, "The mother?" he carefully asked but by the sad looks he received from everyone he didn't need any explanation.

He held his hand up with an understanding nod, "It's alright. Well...It's a good thing ya'll came here. It's pretty crowded so I suggest you try and park your car over there in the field, and find a spot to set up camp. If you don't have a tent then we have some spares," he explained as he pointed to the fields and then the maze of colorful tents. "When you're settled, find anyone in charge and they'll help you with supplies or medical aid," the deputy said before looking at the baby, "And then we'll see if we can feed the little one, maybe find some diapers too."

He then pulled away from the van, tapping the rooftop to let them pass before talking into his walkie, alerting the others of new arrivals.

The group separated their ways in the end. Mike and Mary ventured off to one section of the campgrounds, trying to locate family. The others went to another, knowing very well that there's no one left for them.

They received a spare tent from one of the volunteers here. They were small and cheap but it gave them shelter. They received very little supplies, much to their surprise.

Resources were getting more and more scarce the less frequent the military stopped by to resupply them. And food and water would only be handed out at specific times.

* * *

Roxanne looked around in fascination while she was holding Cora, gently rocking her back and forth. _So many families lost their home and loved ones._ She thought about Mickey and then looked down at the little girl in her arms, thinking about Shondra.

Roxy always thought that Cora looked like her mother; caramel skin with big brown eyes, curly hair, and the puffiest cheeks she ever saw.

She looked around again as night was gently falling and frowned at something she noticed. _Where were the military?_

She turned to the others, watching how James was spending some time with Dwayne. He was teaching him how to set up a tent while Lucille busied herself with their own, making faster progress. Roxy could tell she had a lot on her mind despite hiding behind those broken glasses.

She adjusted the baby in her arms as the little girl was looking back and forth at the new sights and whatever sound caught her attention, quietly suckling on her fingers.

Roxy kneeled down near Lucille, "Ghost? Have you noticed how there's no military here, at all?" she asked in a low voice while looking around with a suspicious look.

Lucille looked up at her, her eyes peeking from under the glasses. She glanced around trying to spot the large white tents she saw earlier while exploring, "Ya see those?" she pointed at them in the distance. "That's what they meant with military support. It's where they store the food and water, maybe ammo too and it's got a medical area for those that got hurt on their way here," Lucille said when she looked back at Roxy, "Those officers and firefighters, are all we have."

Roxanne listened to her and looked at the white tents, needless to say they were both expecting more out of this. More...presence maybe?

She frowned and she could tell there was more that Lucille wasn't telling her. "Ghost?" she asked again.

Lucille was annoyed, she wanted to be left alone; clear her thoughts. "What?" she asked sourly.

Noting her bad mood Roxy simply shook her head and instead busied herself with the baby, "Nevermind."

Lucille couldn't tell why but she was having a bad feeling about this, it was more of a...gut feeling. After what they had experienced during the past few days, learning from what they have witnessed with those Freaks…

Lucille glanced around as she got up and wiped the dirt of her hands. She didn't like the noises everyone was making; loud chatter, car engines going on and off, the clanging of pots and pans, the campfires, the lights, the odors.

Then there's the knowledge that bitten people were being treated closeby, the constant worry about whether or not the infection will be contained. And surrounding them was nothing but open field and woods…

She didn't finish her thoughts as she pulled the tent straight and checked the inside before moving their stuff. Which was really just 1 duffel bag, again they used it as a pillow and used the old blanket. The blue tent was just large enough for the two of them.

So when everyone slept, Lucille was wide awake, brooding again. Her thoughts turning to the Dixons as she caressed her necklace. _Wait. It's gone!_

She looked down and checked the tent floor and outside the tent but the necklace was nowhere to be found. How come she didn't notice it before?! _Ugh, must've lost it while fightin' those things._ She pouted at the loss. Besides the tattoos it was all she had left of a memory about Roxanne's mother.

* * *

He watched the water droplets fall into the sink. His calloused hands tightly gripping the sides of the porcelain as he was breathing hard.

He could still hear the screams, the gunshots. The sight of...his father and Buck being mauled to pieces.

He felt like a coward. He couldn't even help to put his father out of his misery, how his hand shook when he gripped his handgun and pointed it at him. Even after all these years and everything that happened between them...he still couldn't do it. So he had to watch as his uncle did it for him.

He grabbed the towel and wiped his face before looking up. His blue eyes staring at the person in the old mirror.

Daryl Dixon looked exactly like you'd expect from a redneck with his torn off sleeves and oil stained pants. His closely cropped brown hair, a poorly kept goatee with a moustache to match and a hard look in his eyes.

Again he felt that same old anger, and same old shame building up. He plunged his fist hard into his reflection with a grunt, watching how some pieces of glass fell before he looked at the cuts on his knuckles.

He dismissed the pain, needing to feel something else other than disgust right now and walked out of the bathroom.

He spotted his uncle Jesse sitting by the table and bandaging his arm up. "How's the arm?" Daryl asked as he put on his leather vest.

Jesse nodded as he looked up, "It stopped bleedin' but I'm gonna need painkillers, 'n antibio-."

Daryl frowned when he heard shuffling and growling outside the cabin, "Shh... Listen," he said as he approached the windows, his fingers pulling on the blinds to peek through. "They're here already."

Jesse got up and looked over Daryl's shoulder to see the view.

Dozens of Eaters had spilled out of the woods, surrounding the cabin.

Jesse scratched his balding head, "We need to get the hell outta here," he said as he turned to fetch his rifle.

Daryl clenched his jaw and balled his fist, "What we need is kill every last one of 'em!" He retreated from the window when an Eater was getting closer to the porch.

Jesse grabbed his shoulder and faced him, "No we ain't. I know yer pissed but there's too many of 'em. Now gather whatever ya can."

He was right, Daryl thought as he made his way to the bunk beds to grab his duffel bag. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep his head cool as he gathered what little clothes he had and the ammo.

Before he joined his uncle by the front door he slid his hunting knife in the strap by his belt and slung his crossbow around his shoulder. "Ya ready?" he asked his uncle while taking his handgun.

Jesse nodded, carrying his own backpack and hunting rifle, "Remember, aim for the head. It's the only thing that'll kill 'em."

Daryl nodded and placed his hand on the door knob, waiting for Jesse to give the signal.

As soon as Jesse was ready, Daryl swung the door open and shot the Eater closest to him while Jesse shot a couple of his own with his rifle.

"The truck! Get to the truck!" he yelled at Daryl as they cleared a path through the crowd.

They barely escaped the herd's clutches when they reached the car. Both men just threw their stuff in the back of the pick-up before getting inside and then drove out of the woods as fast as they could.

* * *

Jesse kept turning the knobs of the radio, but all that came out of it was static. Not one radio station was working.

"Dead. Just...nothin'," he said as he gave up, trying to think about what to do. "That rabies outbreak was-" Jesse started before he got interrupted, again.

"Was bullshit, is what it is," Daryl said as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. "That wasn't rabies, those people...Those weren't people," he said as he slammed the wheel in frustration before taking a deep breath to calm himself again.

Jesse gingerly rubbed his injured arm as he shook his head. He couldn't believe it either. They were aware of the outbreak before they went on their hunting trip. But up there in the Chattahoochee woods, they were completely cut off from the world. No TV, no radio, no help or warning at all. And no way on finding out that the outbreak got out of control. _Unless ya had a car, the only help ya'd be gettin' was gettin' to the nearest town._ _The nearest town…_

"Sedalia, we gotta warn those people," Jesse said, "We can grab some more supplies too then."

Daryl glanced at his uncle, anger turning into worry. He didn't think about Sedalia. He nodded, agreeing to the plan.

"What about Merle?" Daryl asked.

Jesse sighed and closed his eyes for a bit before tackling that beast.

Daryl could see the myriad of emotions displayed on his uncle's face and he didn't like any of them. "We ain't leavin' Merle!"

Jesse frowned and snapped back at him, "He'll be fine on 'is own!"

The men argued for a while until Jesse eventually gave in, "Alright, alright! Fine! We'll get the 'sumbitch…"

Daryl gave his uncle a firm nod, speeding up while trying to bypass a couple of cars that seemed to have been involved in an accident.

Jesse sighed, "It's just when ya'll boys are together ya seem to turn hay into shit…"

* * *

It was the afternoon by the time they arrived at the town. Sedalia was lost. Both men were still in the car, staying as quiet as they can and both realizing that things were even worse than they thought.

The only people left were the dead ones, not a store seemed salvageable and the streets were littered with trash and cars.

Jesse was the first to speak, "Well now we know why they were up there…"

Daryl scoffed, _yea, no more food_.

Jesse then said, "Let's split up, find the stuff we need 'n get the hell outta here. Avoid 'em if ya can." With that said they both went their separate ways.

Jesse was trying to find some medical supplies and Daryl was busy siphoning gas from abandoned cars since the gas station was no longer operational. But both took the opportunity to salvage whatever was left behind here; cars, stores, homes... Finders keepers was the new rule of the world now.

While Daryl was checking the contents of a car, he spotted the entrance of the trailer park about a block away. He tried to ignore it at first but he wondered...He knew he had to be sure if he wanted to ease his mind.

With crossbow in hand he made his way to the trailer park, sneaking between trailers and cars. Once he reached the one where Lucille and Roxy lived he quickly got inside after seeing that their car was gone.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of death and the decaying body of Mickey in the kitchen area.

His stomach dropped... _That's Roxy's boyfriend_. Tucked partly underneath his leg Daryl saw something shiny. He picked it up and recognized Lucille's necklace; a rose quartz stone with a golden elephant attached to it.

 _Looks like the clasp broke_ , he noted silently.

He remembered her telling him she got it from Roxy's mom on her deathbed. Knowing the blonde, she'd probably want it back so without second thought he stuffed the piece of jewelry in his pocket.

Then he heard something in one of the bedrooms, making him jump and aim the crossbow at the door.

Carefully he approached it, trying to listen to figure out if whoever was on the other side was either alive or dead.

But when the door suddenly swung open his eyes grew wide and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He lowered the crossbow, "Merle?"

Merle was rummaging through Lucille's things, wondering if she had a hidden stash here. Anything that could link her to her guilt.

His search got interrupted when he heard footsteps outside the bedroom door.

The bulky man slowly got up and took out his handgun, flipping the safety off before aiming it on the door as the footsteps got closer. If it was one of those fuckers then he was going to have a blast letting some anger go.

He grabbed the door handle and swung it open, lifting the gun at head height and freezing when he saw his little brother.

He chuckled as he put his gun away, "Well, lookee here. Looks like we had the same idea," he said as he barged past him, salvaging some stuff.

Daryl didn't know how to feel. Glad that his brother was here? Angry for nearly killing him? Or shocked that he'd plunder the home of the woman that helped out his fat ass several times...On second thought...He wasn't surprised. "I thought ya'd be at Jake's. Why ya here?" Daryl asked him as he peeked into Lucille's bedroom, seeing the mess Merle left behind.

"I was arrested, for some drug thing," he said.

Again, Daryl wasn't surprised… "Yea?" the sarcasm thick in his voice as he leaned against the bedroom door frame.

"Yea... Until 'em pigs left me there to rot when fuckin' Armageddon came to the world. I stole the keys off of one of 'em while these Psychos were chewin' 'im up. Fought my way outta there and figured I needed to pay a little visit to whoever ratted me out," he said with a sneer, clearly pissed that someone had the balls to do this to him.

Daryl didn't believe it, not that there wasn't anyone that ratted him out but that Lucille would do such a thing. "It's not 'er. She wouldn't do that," he said.

Merle looked up at him with a smirk, "Ohh, no-no, Little Brother. Dun' go defendin' 'er. She had the most to lose and ya know it! She wouldn't bat an eye for either of us."

The brothers remained quiet as Merle stuffed his bag full of food and drinks, and whatever else he found was useful to him. He glanced at Daryl who was brooding, biting his nails.

"They're alive," he offered Daryl, smirking as the man perked up with interest.

The blue eyed man looked up at his big brother, lowering his hand, "The truck could've been stolen," he said, although he didn't see any dead versions of them wandering around. Still, in this chaos a missing truck isn't exactly assurance.

Merle chuckled then pointed at the bedroom, "But 'er knives ain't."

Daryl frowned and checked the bedroom and then the wooden board hung up to the wall. Running his hand over the dents and cuts he nodded and almost smiled. Lucille was too attached to them to leave them behind...

When the brothers caught up with their uncle, Jesse wasn't very excited that Merle had come to join them this soon already. Rolling his eyes as he tossed a small bag with medicine and a first aid kit in the back of the pick-up.

Merle immediately took offense to that as he placed himself in the driver's seat, "Hey, ya dun' have to come along if ya dun' like it."

Without another word they followed Merle's lead and got in the truck, leaving Sedalia and trying to find a place to stay before nightfall.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope the Dixon brothers were portrayed okay?**

 **-Teaser for next chapter-**

 _ **They all wanted a piece of him.**_

 _ **There was no stopping them, for every Eater he got with his arrows 10 more would reappear picking up where others left off. Slowly they surrounded Daryl while Merle called for him from within the darkness.**_


	5. No Vacancy

**A/N: Finally finished chapter 10! Onwards to chapter 11!**

 **Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, let me know what you think.**

* * *

"How 'bout that motel?" Daryl asked.

Merle sighed, staring at the flickering neon sign then nodded. They didn't really have any choice, they needed to rest and eat. They've been on the road for a couple of days now, going in and out of stores and houses to spend the night and scavenge.

All the while their uncle was doing worse the further the infection ravaged his body. And then all of the sudden the disease claimed another soul for the undead. Needless to say, the journey had been rough even for them.

After Merle parked the car they grabbed as much of their stuff as they could, at least the crucial ones like weapons and food.

It was eerily calm as they approached the 2-story building though they saw a couple of Eaters wandering around. Barely even noticing the brothers as they crouched about trying to locate the office.

When they did Daryl stood watch by the window with crossbow in hand while Merle was sifting through drawers and desk trying to find the room keys of the motel.

Daryl was starting to get nervous at how long Merle was taking, "D'ya find 'em?" he asked, looking back and forth between the roaming Eaters and Merle.

Merle was getting colorful with his language as he muttered to himself. He was making a mess of the desk, tossing paperwork aside and making more noise than needed.

Daryl noticed he was struggling, probably from lack of sleep, and walked towards the desk to see if maybe he could find them instead. "Ya makin' too much noise, Merle," he said gruffly as he gently pushed his brother to the side.

Which Merle's pride didn't seem to appreciate so he pushed Daryl back and looked at him hard before flashing a small key in front of him, "I got 'em," he said with a rough voice.

He read the number on the key, '16'. "It's above," he said to Daryl and then headed out, swinging the door wide open while dragging his stuff around, bumping against things every now and then.

Daryl frowned and pressed his lips together at the reckless behavior, "Dun' just barge out like that, ya big ape!" he yelled behind him.

When he walked out the door he got startled at a groaning coming next from him. He looked over and saw one of the Eaters noticing their presence, he quickly shut the creature up by launching an arrow in between its eyes. After retrieving the arrow he wiped the blood on his pants before going up the stairs to look for Merle.

Once inside they tossed their stuff on the queen-sized bed and got to work running their own little checklist. Making sure there were no stragglers hiding within the room or behind shower curtains, a new rule they added after their last surprise at one of the houses they were hiding in.

When the coast was clear they moved to secure the place, making sure every window and door is locked and curtains were drawn closed. Hidden from any prying eyes, dead or alive.

Daryl turned on a flashlight and propped it onto one of the nightstands, its soft pale light barely illuminating the room while Merle searched their bags for food.

He got out 2 cans and the opener that they managed to salvage. Beans for himself and then tossed a can of tuna at Daryl.

Daryl caught the can and set it aside before he moved a chair near the big window. Making a little nest for them for when they'd be on watch.

He peeked through the window, relieved that none of the Eaters had noticed them despite the noise Merle caused.

He accepted the can opener that Merle handed him and placed his crossbow down next to the chair before sitting in it. They sat in silence, eating and lost in their own thoughts.

Daryl stared at Merle, slowly chewing on his tuna as the older man made himself comfortable on the bed. Daryl was taking the first shift, figuring that Merle needed more sleep than he did. "The Smoky Mountains..." he said, reminding his brother of their previous argument.

Merle froze and sighed, _since when does he care..._ "What 'bout it? Hm? Ya think they're up there 'cause we saw the fliers?" he said as he turned around on the bed, watching Daryl as he set aside the can.

Daryl frowned, "Hell yea is what I'm sayin'. Ya know Lucille would've taken Roxy there to protect 'er. She lives for that girl…" he said, briefly glancing out the window as he picked up his crossbow.

"-If- they're alive...," Merle replied, "She's a tough bitch but I doubt she can handle 'em things out there on 'er own."

Daryl bit his nails again as he watched outside, "We could at least check. Make sure," he offered before looking back at Merle.

The older man grumbled, "It's in the other direction of where we're headin'!" Merle was torn… He truly believed that the chances to find the girls were slim, even he and Daryl were barely making it on their own. Between the lack of food and lack of sleep, it'd only be a matter of time before they slip up. Then having to worry about the sisters at the same time…?

Daryl spoke up again, deciding to go for a different route, "Ya could find out if she was the one that ratted ya out or not. Maybe she knows more than she realizes…" The archer eyed his older brother.

Merle licked his lips and looked at him then slowly nodded, "It would solve the mystery..." he said. Merle then waved a hand at him before rolling over to catch some sleep.

But before he relaxed he shot over his shoulder, "If they ain't there then it's straight to Jake's! And we forget about 'em!"

* * *

He dreamed he was being chased by them -the Eaters.

He was running around on the parking lot of the motel with one weak street light illuminating him. He couldn't see anything beyond the mass that circled him. They all wanted a piece of him.

There was no stopping them, and for every Eater he got with his arrows 10 more would reappear picking up where the others left off. Slowly surrounding him while Merle called for him from within the darkness.

The undead were so loud with their growling and snarling that he could barely hear Merle, "Daryl! Daryl! Wake up, man!"

Daryl was roughly awoken by someone who was shaking him back and forth, yelling at him to wake up. Confused he glanced around as Merle was quickly gathering their bags.

When Daryl turned to the window he was met with a couple of Eaters clawing at the glass, pressing their faces against it and fixated on Daryl.

Daryl jumped out of the chair with his crossbow. _Fuck_ , he thought. He must've fallen asleep during his watch. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he repeated to himself as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

Merle tossed a bag at Daryl with a glare. They both prepared to flee, checking their weapons and ammo all the while Daryl had to hear his brother's insults.

Merle was the first to step out of the room with Daryl quickly following him. Merle quickly shot the two that were clawing their window.

Daryl yelled 'no' before they paused when they saw that they practically alerted every Eater at the motel, and were slowly making their way towards the brothers.

Without hesitation they cleared a path, but it was a close call.

They ran towards the stairs. Merle shot a couple that were trying to get up the stairs while Daryl covered his back with his crossbow, shooting those that were emerging from the other rooms.

He was annoyed that he had to leave behind the arrows. _Damn waste_!

But Daryl didn't notice the straggler that snatched him from behind, grasping his backpack as the creature tried to bring its jaw closer to Daryl's neck. He couldn't turn around to kill it without him risking getting bit, "Merle!" he shouted. If only he could get the backpack off.

Merle turned around as soon as he heard his baby brother's cry for help. He took out a small knife from his belt and hooked it behind one of the straps of Daryl's backpack.

But as he did this, Daryl's eyes grew big with panic before he aimed his crossbow at the Eater sneaking up behind Merle. "Behind ya!"

The arrow zooming next to Merle's head as it pierced the Eater.

With the straps now cut and the backpack falling down, Daryl quickly got away from the Eater before Merle finally put a bullet through its head.

Merle looked at him with a small smirk as they moved down the stairs, "Ain't ya glad ol' Merle's gotcha back?" But his smirk disappeared quickly when they reached the car.

He wasn't pleased with Daryl's slip up. His own brother sleeping through his watch like some puss.

Daryl felt like crap as he ran a hand through his unkept hair, he must've been more tired than he realized. He could've sworn it was only a moment that he closed his eyes…

* * *

Despite Merle's anger and disappointment in his baby brother, he kept his word. It took them another day but they made it to the campgrounds and what they saw wasn't what they expected…

It was completely overrun by Eaters. Dozens upon dozens feasting on torn bodies that littered the campgrounds. Cars were all over the place seemingly having driven through the tents to try and escape the hell they must've been in. Blood splatters covered the hoods, some even had remnants of mutilated bodies stuck underneath the wheels and bumper, unable to tell the difference if it was once an Eater or an unfortunate soul that got in the way. Tents were demolished, even the big white ones…

As they drove by slowly, they briefly pondered about trying to salvage whatever was left in those crates.

"What d'ya think? Should we get it?" Daryl asked as he scanned the chaos, watching how some Eaters were distracted by eating the fallen.

Merle thought long and hard by this as he drove around in circles, causing more attention to themselves really. He then shook his blonde, half-shaven head, having made his decision, "No. Leave it, there's too many of 'em. They'll eat us up before we're able to crack 'em open."

The Eaters were already trying to surround the truck. There was no way for them to reach the goods even without clogging the engine with dead flesh.

Daryl nodded as he briefly closed his eyes, realizing that if the girls were here, they probably didn't make it.

Merle had already made his peace with it and turned the truck around, straight for Jake's.

Daryl was breathing hard as his anger began to get the better of him. Fuming and slamming his fist against the dashboard in frustration.

Merle ignored his brother's outburst, focusing on the road as he grieved in his own way. By not being a fucking pussy like Daryl was, he who was the 'sensitive' one out of the two of them. _Lucille. Told 'im she wouldn't make it. She's tough but not Dixon tough._

The rest of the ride was quiet.

Merle always did like the road, especially on his bike. Just him and the pavement, alone. He could forget about his problems. The road doesn't bitch to him, it doesn't expect him to do great things. He chuckled to himself at the thought, _it's like therapy…_

Daryl glanced at him and arched a brow, "Whatcha laughing at?" he asked as he reached for his pocket and took out his smokes. Placing a cigarette between his dry lips before lighting it up with a lighter.

Merle reached his hand out, wanting a smoke for himself.

After the older brother blew out a cloud of smoke from his first drag he answered, "Was just thinkin' 'bout the bike. I'm pretty sure it's still there," he said.

Daryl slowly nodded, not saying much.

Merle glanced at him a couple of times before saying, "Hey, Little D," he waited to get Daryl's attention, "If ya ever fall asleep again, on yer watch?"

He didn't get the chance to finish what he had to say.

Daryl quickly adjusted himself in his seat and frowned as waved his hand about, "Yea-yea-yea, I know, I know. It won't happen again." He was feeling self conscious about his mistakes and how close it got to killing them.

The corners of Merle's lips slowly formed a grin before he chuckled.

It took them another day and a half to reach the headquarters of the Savage Sons motorcycle club. It was a questionable place to say the least. Merle was proud of it but to Daryl it was just another seedy bar.

Daryl parked the truck near the entrance, leaning back in his seat before glancing at Merle. He arched a brow at him, "I thought ya said this place was safe?" he asked him as Merle was busy reloading his Glock.

"Yea well, ya can't be too safe. Jus' in case…" Merle replied.

They got out of the truck, the sun beating down heavy on them. _Gotta love that Georgia weather_ , Merle thought.

He motioned for Daryl to follow him as he approached the front of the bar where some bikes were parked. He smiled when he spotted his own bike, still safe and untouched in its spot.

Daryl was looking around the parking lot, keeping an eye out for Eaters.

It was strange to hear Jake's this quiet. Usually the bar would be blasting rock music or heavy metal, rowdy bikers up front showing off their hogs. While the members inside were either getting drunk, arguing about drugs or money, or trying to score with some cheap slut. Most of the time these women are either after their fix or had bad taste in men.

Surprisingly Lucille managed to blend in with the crowd, it always bothered him that Merle got her involved in his business.

He briefly caressed the necklace through his pocket before Merle signaled him to head inside.

"Come on, Little D. We got lots of goodies inside," Merle said, feeling more confident now that things were finally going their way.

When they entered the bar, Merle froze. The sun must be baking his brain, he thought.

Although Daryl had a small smile when he saw the two women on the other side of the room.

Lucille was sitting in a chair holding her Magnum and her katana in her lap, while Roxy was sitting on a bar stool with a baby in her arms. They both looked in rough shape; dirty and tired looking. Lucille in particular was a mess.

The brothers stared at the woman, it seems they had it worse than they did. Bloodstains covered her clothes and skin, a soaked spot on her left thigh. The tear in her pants showing the dirty bandaging underneath.

Her signature glasses perched atop her blonde, sweaty head with a fierce and impatient look as she barked at them, "What the fuck took ya'll so long?!"

* * *

 **A/N: hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. ^^**

 **-Teaser for Next Chapter-**

 _ **...and that's when things really got bad.**_

 _ **Not only did they have to watch for people shoving them aside or the undead clawing at them from all sides. Now, they had to dodge vehicles as they started to drive right through the crowd.**_

 _ **Roxanne shrieked when she witnessed a man being run over right in front of them.**_

 _ **The little group paused in their tracks for what seems to be only a moment. But a moment was all it took...**_

 _ **James suddenly cried out in pain.**_


End file.
